The Baskerville's Mystery Maze
by PT-chan ssu
Summary: In the city of Sablier, there is a certain event that happens only once every 10 years; an event that can scar anyone's minds, bring thrills to the senses, madness to those unfortunate few, and fame to whomever was courageous enough to clear it… AU
1. Prologue: Blue Moon

**Prologue: Blue Moon  
><strong>

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><p>It is a peaceful night.<p>

A Night where the breeze is warm.

A Night when the forest is silent.

A Night where the moon is full.

Hovering majestically over the earth.

Casting an ethereal glow over ancient grounds.

A Blue moon.

A rarity.

A sign that something is stirring.

A sign that something is changing.

A lone figure stood witness to it all, watching through stained-glass windows, aglow in the reflected light.

Amethyst orbs stared ahead, melancholy unconcealed.

"Master Glen" a rustle of fabric, a figure cloaked in red appearing from the shadows cast behind him.

"...She'll wake up soon" he stated, unmoving.

"It is almost time then..." another rustle. "Shall I begin the preparations?"

All was silent.

"Once she awakes, I will sleep." the Master whispered wistfully, as if to himself. Not an answer, nor acknowledgement to the person behind him.

"Master—" the other began, almost in protest.

"It's been a hundred years" he stated, cutting the other off. "…I wonder... if something will change this time."

"…."

He sighed. "Silver. Such a beautiful color…" For the first time since night fell, Glen Baskerville turned away from the otherworldly scenery outside the manor's grounds, but his eyes were unseeing.

Instead, Golden lights completely separate from the world were reflected within those dark, dark pools. "It shall be me who sleeps..." he begins...

"But someone else will dream."

...

...

...

_"Hey Glen?" asked a young girl, her face a sickly pale, her fragile fingers desperately clutching at the sheets. "When can I go out?" she asked, a plead in her voice; hope as fragile as she looked evident in her tone._

_The man is silent, eyes hidden behind ebony bangs even as he gently stroked her colorless locks. _

_He does not reply._

_The girl is used to it, but the tears still flowed._

_"I'm sleepy..." she said instead, muffling a sniffle, lying back down. Her own colorless form nearly undistinguishable in the sea of soft white sheets. She closed her eyes._

_Slowly, the man in black stood up, planting a kiss on her forehead –a bid goodnight— before he turned to make his leave._

_"I like my dreams" the girl suddenly spoke, halting the man. "Lots of things happen, and it's all so fun! But... there doesn't seem to be anyone around. It's lonely..." she trailed off. _

_Once again, Glen Baskerville did not speak. But like all other times, he turned to face her._

_"Play with me when I wake up?" she smiled. A smile so out of place on such a doll-like face._

_A smile of madness._

_She giggled; a beautiful chime within the dead of the night. Innocent. Charming. Malicious._

_And as if joining her, numerous dolls danced off their shelves, floating throughout the room, giggles and cackles joining in until the entire area was immersed in a maddening sea of laughter._

_Tea pots and cups and kettles. Spoons, forks, knives._

_He did not move even as one came sailing his way, embedding itself on the wall behind him._

_"Aww. Glen is so boring" she pouted, and suddenly all was still. "But I'm sure _he_'ll play with me" she mumbled, almost to herself, as a dreamy smile tugged her lips, eyes clouding over in fantasy. "He promised"_

_The girl closed her eyes once more; sending everything crashing unceremoniously to the floor in a loud clatter, save for two._

_"It's fun in my dreams" she stated as a little white rabbit in a baby blue dress floated over to her pillow, snuggling closely at her side._

_The black rabbit remained afloat at the foot of the bed, and Glen kept his focus on it as well as the now drifting girl._

_She smiled once again. Peaceful, childlike, calm..._

_Beautiful._

_"But it's more fun if I'm awake." and the rabbit erupted into a sea of flames._


	2. Part 1: Maze

**Hey Everyone! Remember me? 833  
>It's been a real long while since I've been in the Pandora Hearts fandom ^^; and a really long while since I updated any of my old fics... ;w;U and yet here I am again with a NEW ONE this time 9w9<br>**

**But although I say new... ^^; It's actually about as old as Ivory and Ebony... (yes. It took THAT long for me to actually try posting it TTwTT) It's supposed to be a REEEEEALLY long Oneshot Halloween Special like L'archel-hotishi -sama's Tasty Tricky series but... ^^; Well, I don't think I can do that. BUT ANYWAY!**

**Here is the First Part of this fic desu XD I'm thinking about it reaching about 4 or 5 chapters. I hope you like it XD**

**Read&Review pretty please? OwO**

* * *

><p>"Oi! Elliot! Leo! Over here!" a cheery blonde boy by the name of Oz Vessalius called from one of the outside tables of a 24 hour café, gesturing towards two male teenagers across the street.<p>

The taller of the two, the brunette known as Elliot Nightray, directed an irritated glare the Vessalius's direction as his noirette companion, Leo, began cheerily dragging him towards said blond.

"Hey Oz" Leo greeted once they were close enough, causing Elliot to huff in annoyance. "Ready for the event?" the noirette continued, ignoring his best friend.

Oz flashed him a wide grin. "Yeah! I'm just waiting for Gil and Alice to get here. You two?"

"Oh, were fine. Elliot doesn't seem too enthusiastic though" the addressed huffed again, crossing his arms across his chest as he made a point of avoiding the two. "Ah, what's this? You're not scared are you Elly?" the blond teased, earning him another glare.

"I. Am. Not. Scared! I just see no point in going to this Halloween thing" Elliot defended. "AND DON'T CALL ME ELLY!—"

"—_One_, Elliot…" Leo immediately cut in, glasses glinting in the café's dim lighting as he held a finger out directing in his best friend's face. "…this isn't just a Halloween thing. It's the Baskerville's Mystery Maze, and I heard it's really really cool. _Two_, it happens only once every 10 years, and I don't wanna miss this chance!" the noirette explained, excitement evident in his posture, if not in his heavily concealed eyes.

"No one would!" Oz urged, completely ignoring Elliot's protest. "I heard from Jack before that this event was totally wicked! He said that while you're there it's like a completely different world!"

"Well if you guys hadn't already heard" the brunette interjected. "_That second cousin _of yours was the _only_ guy who got out of there unscathed. _If _he really _is_ unscathed anyway…" Elliot growled, growing rigid with caution. "The rest took at least a couple of months in rehab just to calm down, not to mention a lot of them got heavily injured"

"You don't really believe that do you?" the other two asked in unison, laughing together when they caught themselves.

"Well, okay, so maybe that's true. But that's the challenge!" Leo exclaimed.

"And the guys that went to rehab said it was totally wicked too when they got better! No one even complained!" Oz supported.

"Yeah, because apparently they all lost their minds! It's suspicious as Hell!" A deep exasperated sigh escaped Elliot's lips at the antics of his two friends, but with a roll of his eyes, he merely stated. "But you two already got me to agree to come with you weeks ago and I don't go back on my word"

"YES!" the two exclaimed in unison again, exchanging high fives.

It only took a couple more seconds for the three to notice two more figures headed their way.

"OZ!" a brown haired girl wearing a light blue dress exclaimed as she dashed towards the blond, followed by a particularly dark looking man in a black trench coat and matching hat.

"Alice! Gil!" the blonde started, catching the girl in his arms.

"Look Oz! Sharon gave me this to wear, I don't really like it, but it's Sharon so…" Alice explained, relinquishing her hold of the blonde and tugging at the large blue bow in her hair.

"I see, so Alice is Alice in Wonderland huh? It fits you" Oz complimented, earning him a blush from the small girl, followed by a huff. "And what cha wearin' Gil?" he continued, turning towards the taller male, eyeing the blackness of his attire.

"I'm Van Hellsing" Gilbert explained, tugging at his silvery collar.

"Cool!" Oz commented. "Vampire bounty hunter, Gilbert Nightray! But don't ya think you're too soft for the job though?" he teased.

"Shut up!" Gilbert snapped, trying to hide a blush beneath his hat. It did nothing to hide his smile though. "I suppose you're Edgar from the Holy Knight then Oz?"

"Yup! And look! Elliot is Edwyn! We match!" Oz explained, grabbing the addressed brunette by the arm and flashing a huge grin. The two were, true enough, decked in medieval robes with fake armor and swords and fake hair extensions to complete the look.

Elliot growled, wrenching his arm from the blond's, who didn't seem to notice at all. "_Self-sacrificing idiots. Why do people even __**like **__that Edgar bast—_" he mumbled under his breath, earning him a rather painful jab from Leo, who was dressed as a Ravenclaw. Hat, broom, spellbook and all. "Ouch! What's the big idea?"

Leo ignored him.

"By the way, where's Sharon?" Oz asked curiously, peeking behind the group.

Alice pouted. "She said she had something to do and that she might not make it"

"Eh?" the blond exclaimed, flabbergasted. "It's a once-in-every-10-years event! What could be more important than this?!" he mock gasped.

Elliot sighed. "I'd say she made the right decision" he mumbled.

Leo only chuckled. "Well then, it's getting dark now so shall we go?" the noirette offered cheerily, catching the rest's attention. With nods and voices of agreement, the 5 made their way down the street.

In the distance, just up the hill, looking like it came from inside a horror movie, the infamous Baskerville Manor loomed.

This is where the most famous Halloween event would take place; an event that can scar anyone's minds, bring thrills to the senses, madness to those unfortunate few, and fame to whomever was courageous enough to clear it…

_**The Baskerville's Mystery Maze**_

***0*O0O*0*O0O**The Baskerville's Mystery Maze**O0O*0*O0O*0***

"Welcome to Baskerville Manor everyone!" the feminine voice of one Charlotte Baskerville, adopted daughter of Duke Glen Baskerville, resounded from the multiple speakers around the front garden, catching everyone's attention.

The pink haired woman smiled down from her perch on the second floor balcony, waiting for the commotion to decrease before she spoke once again. "After yet another long wait, we finally present to you the Baskerville's Mystery Maze! As you all may know, this game is no ordinary child's play, there _are_ and _will be _casualties, so beware and enter at your own risk" she stated rather cheerily.

"If you are able to find the King and Complete the Maze, then you will be granted a wish. Only one, regardless of the number of participants." she emphasized, sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd. "Fame and fortune goes without saying, of course. But what exactly is your heart's desire?" she smiled mysteriously, eyes half lidded, before she gestured to a man standing just behind her.

"So now I'll let Fang here tell you what this year's challenge will be like. Rules and Regulations are important after all" Charlotte said, handing the microphone over to the tall brunette man, around his late 20s by the look of it, with a distinctive tattoo on his face. Contrasting the intimidating tattoo though, the man seemed to have a gentle air about him, as a kind smile crossed his lips.

"Thank you Miss Lottie. Right people, listen up. There will be a certain theme for this challenge, just one, and I won't be telling you because it's something you can find out for yourselves.

"The rules are simple. Once you are inside the Manor, you will be led to certain events by several notices. You will find these notices as you go along, and most likely they'll be followed by something less than pleasant" he explained, triggering a few nervous murmurs from the crowd, not quite drowned out by cheers from the rest. "Now the most important task you have to accomplish –this is where all notes lead to— is that you have to find the Red King. That's Master Glen himself by the way"

Gasps were heard as an outbreak of whispers overcame the crowd below; Glen Baskerville was not one to go out in public much, if at all, and he was rarely ever seen. Fang had to clear his throat to gain everyone's attention again, ceasing the commotion.

"Also, for each person, there is a corresponding Token called 'Chains'. You will need to perform a task to receive them. No stealing is allowed - there will be punishment." the brunette continued. "Now, these Chains are like Keys, they are needed by every participant to be able to enter deeper within the castle, closer to where the King sleeps. That and, of course, to exit the castle at any time for those who do not want to continue. If you aren't able to find one, though… well, let's just say have a nice night"

Again, there was slight discomfort pulsing through the crowd. "And one more thing. This year, apparently, the champion of the last Maze, Master Jack Vessalius, will also be partaking. Please be _wary_ of him" Fang added, his voice grave for reasons unknown, unnoticed by the expanse of people about.

"Well that's that!" Charlotte's voice rang out again as she once again took possession of the mike. "You may now enter. Please, take your time and Enjoy~!" she called out, and in accordance with her words, the giant double steel doors below her opened.

"Oh, and make sure you guys don't die"

***0*O0O*0*O0O**Happy Halloween**O0O*0*O0O*0***

_You're late! You're Late!  
>For a very important date!<br>You musn't dally  
>The Hours tally<br>And the White Rabbit seeks her mate…  
><em>

Oz inspected the note in his hands.

Not a few minutes into the Manor and he already found what seemed to be a Notice; what the notice means, he has no idea, but 'the White Rabbit shall seek her mate'… why does that line seem a little too ominous?

And now that he thinks about it… why did the hall he was in seem oddly quiet? Where are the others? Alice? Elliot? Leo?

"Gil?" he called out, finding himself completely alone in this deserted hallway. _'Gil must be having a fit. He's completely useless without me' _he thought humorously, glancing from side to side.

_Creak…_

He froze, only realizing that he had been walking without any knowledge of where he was going. Now that he was finally able to inspect his surroundings, he found that everything seemed… off.

For one, he was no longer in a hallway.

He was in an oval shaped room – a child's by the looks of it; shelves littered with dolls, a small bed situated at one corner, a delicious tea set on top of a small oval coffee table near the center.

But the thing that was most disconcerting about it was the dusty, abandoned look that overfell the area, not to mention the oppressive darkness around the edges - almost as if light never existed- that seemed to compress, making the walls seem as if they were getting closer and closer...

_Creak_

Not to mention the creaking noises -playful footsteps, unmistakably- that seemed to have been following him… ominously close…

_Tehee._

His breath hitched, heart pounding against his ears as realization came to him.

This was the Event.

And he was most likely in danger.

"Teehee" arms suddenly encircled his waist from behind as something… some_one_ nuzzled into him. A little girl, it seemed.

Almost immediately, his head began to spin.

"You came back" she spoke. Her voice ringing gleefully within his ears, and his energy seemed to dissipate as it echoed.

No… that was no echo. Voices, voices were coming from all around him, getting louder and louder.

Oz stood rooted to his spot. He hadn't a single idea about what was going on. With a loud gulp, he tried to turn around, maybe catch a glance at his captor through his rapidly clouding mind... but all he could make out was long, flowing white hair. "I-I'm sorry but… this is my first time here…" he managed to voice in a casual tone.

The girl, however, seemed not to have heard. "You came back" she repeated, bliss never leaving her voice as she nuzzled closer. "I knew you would. I've always known…"

_She's known, She's known._

_She's waited forever._

_You came back, He came back!_

_Happy! So happy!_

A chorus of disembodied voices assaulted his ears, and the hold the girl had on him seemed to constrict, growing tighter and tighter and tighter until he could hardly breathe, feeling his torso constrict that he felt like he would burst…

"Ugh!" Oz gasped, his vision becoming blurry as darkness crept up from the edges. "L-Let g-o…" He fell to his knees, panting from the squeeze as he tried to fill his lungs with air, his hands clutching his throbbing middle.

Laughter resounded within the room; the voice of an innocent little girl floating above all –beautiful, yet echoing ominously.

Vision blurring, Oz felt himself fade into the darkness…

***0*O0O*0*O0O** **O0O*0*O0O*0***

"Oz! Oz! Where are you?!" and just as earlier predicted, it seemed that Gilbert Nightray, aka Gil, was indeed having a fit… "OZ?!"

"Calm down Seaweed Head, I'm sure Oz can take care of himself!" Alice called out, also agitated, but a great deal calmer than the black haired teenager (if the double meat burger in her hands was anything to go by).

Said seaweed head merely ignored her -if he even heard her in the first place as he was at least ten feet away, continuing his frantic search.

The other two, that is to say, Elliot and Leo, had split up with the trio just after they entered the main hall, preferring to continue the game by themselves thus leaving Gilbert and Alice alone with each other now that Oz had mysteriously disappeared.

"OY! Wait up!" the girl cried out, running towards her raven haired companion in order to not get lost. It wasn't going to change anything anyway since neither of them knew where they were going... nor where they actually were, but Sharon said that it was best for a girl not to wander off alone near shady areas. And if this manor isn't shady, she didn't know what is.

She made a sharp turn around a corner at a run and nearly crashed head first into the guy. "Whaa!"

"Watch it Stupid Rabbit" Gilbert growled at the girl half-heartedly, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her from hitting the ground.

"Who's fault was it?" Alice snapped. "You shouldn't stick around in the middle of hallway turning points you know!" she lectured haughtily, but it reached unyielding ears as the Raven's attention was directed elsewhere; a piece of parchment that seemed entirely out of place in this dreary atmosphere.

"_You must make haste  
>The Rabbit awaits<br>Both White and Black shall meet  
>So keep with your Sanity<br>And reach the Mad Tea Party  
>The Three you'll have to greet"<em>

…

"What kind of note is that? It makes no sense!" Alice stated, staring cautiously at the paper.

Gilbert read it with a more serious expression. "It's a Notice. By what the Baskervilles said earlier, there'll be events we'll have to face in here. Maybe this can lead us to where Oz is" he said. Worry for his childhood friend was eating up at him, and he was willing to do anything to make sure Oz is safe.

"So what do we do?" Alice asked, already anticipating his answer, a wide grin on her face.

"What else?" the Raven stated, already a few meters away.

Alice huffed yet again before running to catch up to him.

***0*O0O*0*O0O** **O0O*0*O0O*0***

"We're lost."

A statement.

A blunt and completely factual statement. With a period at the end. And absolutely truthful.

So why can't Elliot just accept that?

Oh right. This is _Elliot Nightray. _And Elliot Nightray does not get into meager situations like getting lost.

But Leo is not making things any easier.

"I'm sure we already passed this painting like a million times already Elliot. We really are lost" the noirette said again, gesturing to the disturbing portrait of a pitch black cavern, the trace of a scaly beast resting within. He gulped unnoticeably, clutching his broom tighter.

Elliot huffed defiantly. "Who knows, with everything that's in this place it wouldn't be surprising if the owner has that thing around every corner"

"The _exact_ _same one?"_ Leo emphasized, his gaze never leaving the said painting. His photographic memory is never wrong, he can remember every word of every chapter of every book he's ever read since he was eight, and he can recognize every brush stroke of this painting, the slightest color of the shades and lighting, the smallest tint chink of the canvas…

An exasperated sigh resounded from behind him, causing him to turn towards his longtime friend, frowning and glaring at nothing in particular.

"Okay fine" Elliot growled out. "If we're lost, then what do you propose we do?"

Slate blue eyes met opaque spectacles as the brunette marched towards him. Leo couldn't help the curl of his lips at his companion's childish behavior.

Elliot, averting his gaze towards the painting, suddenly thought of something. "Maybe this is significant" he stated excitedly, happy to apply his knowledge in a non-fictional setting. "Maybe we need to decipher something from this painting. I mean, the rules said that we'd be finding some notices, so maybe we'll…"

The brunette trailed off as Leo, only half listening to him, proceeded to reach behind the object in question and emerged with a small piece of paper between his fingers.

"…or we can just reach behind it and _take_ the notice. How… uneventful" Elliot slumped, glowering.

Leo managed not to laugh at that, instead directing his attention to the said notice. Elliot was already reading it aloud over his shoulder. (Don't ask)

"_Humpty Dumpty sat on the Wall  
>Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall<br>All the Kings horses and All the Kings Men_

_Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again"_

"A children's nursery rhyme?" huffed Elliot. "What's this supposed to mean?" he asked.

"_Alice in Wonderland_" Leo stated.

Elliot raised a brow. "Isn't Humpty Dumpty portrayed in _Through the Looking Glass_ though?"

"Yes" Leo replied. "But this Maze's theme is Alice in Wonderland. Through the Looking Glass is only a sequel"

"I get it. But aren't you rushing it? I mean, Humpty Dumpty is a Nursery Rhyme before it was in Through the Looking Glass, so why can't Nursery Rhymes be the theme?" Elliot questioned curiously. Leo is almost never wrong when it comes to solving puzzles and mysteries apparently; the guy's read much much much _much_ more books than Elliot ever could, but the brunette always liked questioning him about it.

"Because of this" the noirette indicated in response, pointing to the creepy painting where the note was from. "I didn't notice it before, but now I remember the 'Jabberwock'"

"Hath thee slain it?" Elliot teased.

Leo smirked. "The beast in this painting vaguely looks like it. But I suppose I am rushing things, so come on. Maybe we can get out of here now"

***0*O0O*0*O0O** **O0O*0*O0O*0***

Xerxes Break sat contentedly at the lone table in the somehow odd looking room he was currently in. It was outlandish to say the least, and overly colorful at that, however, he didn't particularly mind the eccentricity of the design as he quietly sipped his tea.

There were no doors in the room, no windows either. The trapdoor from above in which he fell through had long since dissapeared as if it were never there to begin with.

He had long since found out the theme was _Alice in Wonderland_, if the notice now folded in front of him was any confirmation. He found the note hidden quite plainly under an eccentric top hat placed on this side of this very table, which now rested on top of his white mop of hair. In bright red ink were the simple enough words _'Commence the Mad Tea Party' _and since there was a very beautiful tea set only paces in front of him, he decided to pour himself some tea, and he was indeed delighted to find some tea cakes hidden under the table.

Chances that they were poisoned or drugged were very high, and he wouldn't be surprised if there were Hallucinogens scattered around everywhere, but he was quite proud to say he was well versed in that field.

It wasn't as if he was completely sane either, he admits with a smirk.

He has heard of the infamous Baskerville Mystery Maze of Sablier all the way from the city of Lebleux -which is just about the other side of the country— and to say he was curious would be an understatement.

As an investigator, he was _quite _interested in what could possibly have caused over 200 people's physical and mental defects, albeit not as life-threatening or incurable as one might assume, and still operate quite steadily. He guesses it's the 10-year rotation, as well as the fact that the Baskervilles themselves are quite powerful and influential in their own right.

Hmm… what does he know of the Head, Glen Baskerville?

He knows that Glen does not show himself at all unless absolutely necessary, and that the man is one of the wealthiest people in the world. He knows that Glen does not have any blood-relatives, and that the people around him, his _children_ as one would call them, are all adopted. He also knows that the name _Glen Baskerville_ has been around since the Baskerville household's beginning, which is to say, for _hundreds_ of _years_.

Now if that didn't pick your curiosity, what would?

Oh yes. There's also that other matter.

That _Jack Vessalius_ whose existence is a mystery in and of itself.

He sighed contentedly, taking another sip from his tea cup when he heard a creak of wood. He immediately turned to the left where a simple -although rather small wooden door had appeared, a smile stretching across his lips as a familiar face crept into view. "Well Hello there Mr. Liam, how nice of you to join me" he grinned, gesturing to the seat before him.

"Xerxes Break?" the newcomer, Liam Lunettes, stared at him in surprise, straightening himself from his rather... err... _tight_ entrance. "You're here?" he asks as he accepts the silent invitation to the table.

"Well, this _is_ an event with a ten year waiting period, I don't think anyone would want to miss a chance now would I?" the albino explained as he poured the taller man some tea. "And you?" he asks with no trace of curiosity whatsoever.

The brunette fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, taking the cup before he spoke. "Same as you, I presume. For work" he states quite plainly.

Break grinned.

"Then in that case, we'll be having a lot of fun together now won't we"

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><p><strong>*0*O0O*0*O0O**The Baskerville's Mystery Maze**O0O*0*O0O*0*<strong>


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